1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of floral presentation and protection. More specifically, the present invention relates to a single device that combines functions separated into two (2) structures in the prior art. The first function is the protection of cut flowers, especially roses, that have been arranged into bouquets prior to shipment using a flexible planar member wrapped around them. The member is preferably PVC of about 0.003–0.005 inches thick or cardboard, usually corrugated cardboard. The second function is a sleeve formed into a truncated cone. The sleeve being typically also made of plastic sheeting and having a thickness of 0.0015–0.002 inches. The sleeve is conventionally seen about bouquets of flowers that have been placed in buckets of water and are displayed at supermarkets. By the time they are so displayed, the prior art separate protector has normally been removed to allow the bouquet to spread out more and display more favorably. The separate prior art flower protector wraps around the bouquets rather tightly to protect them from bruising and other injuries while in transit to point of sale displays such as at supermarkets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As was noted above, in the prior art the functions of protection and display sleeves involved separate structures. The prior art protector is a rectangular strip that is wrapped around the stems of the flowers beneath the flower itself and then attached to itself typically by being stapled. The protector may spiral into the internal portion of the stems by wrapping a portion of the bouquet stems into the protector first and then adding more stems until the protector encompasses all of the stems. When the rectangular strip reaches around far enough to enclose all of the stems, it is then stapled to itself after being pulled tightly. After being enclosed in the protector, the flowers are disposed within a tapered sleeve of fixed diameters, the sleeve being a truncated cone through the lower opening of which the stems project so they can be retained in water.